The Umbrella Code
by Jeremy Markenson
Summary: Half a decade after saying goodbye, a group of old friends cross paths in Raccoon City. As the newly reformed RPD STARS team, the group races to untangle a web of lies, betrayals and corruption before it's too late.
1. Owners of the Lonely Hearts

**Disclaimer: I do not own resident evil, it's characters or any other material currently under copyright that may appear in this story.**

**Author's Note: This story is what I would call a "Slant Sequel" to another story I wrote called "Raccoon County High". I say slat sequel because I'm going to make sure to include explanations that alleviate the need to read that story. The only thing you need to know is that pretty much all the characters went to high school together in the early nineteen nineties. This is a complete retooling of the entire resident evil storyline focusing on minor characters. You'll have to read on to get anymore information then that.**

**Chapter 1: Owners of the Lonely Hearts**

Joey rested his hand on the top of the trailblazer's steering wheel. Taking a long drag from his cigarette he stared out at the field of vision his headlights afforded. Bordered on both sides by tall pine trees, the roads hadn't changed much so far. They had clearly been repaved and widened since he'd been here, but the route was the same, long and winding.

Twisting the radio dial from station to station he wondered how much wouldn't have changed in five years. Five years. He thought. Even though he knew it to be true it seemed unreal that he'd been away from Raccoon city that long. Been away from home that long. Joey corrected himself mentally. He paused on a familiar frequency when a voice started up.

"Well I guess that's it for the season folks." An unfamiliar voice said. "The Raccoon High Wildcats lost in overtime against the Trighton Raptors. That'll end the season with a record of twenty-six and nine with a finish in the sweet sixteen of the single A tournament. This is Sammy Meed and stay tuned for the full post game show."

Joey clicked the radio off and sighed. _It is that time of year isn't it._ Forcing away memories he didn't want to have right now, Joey pressed his foot a little harder on the gas pedal. A few minutes later around a sharp curve was a sign, both familiar and unfamiliar. It was in the same place where it had always been, but instead of "Welcome to Raccoon County" the sign now read "Welcome to Raccoon City: Home of the Umbrella Corporation".

Joey felt his muscles tighten as a wave of anger at Umbrella washed over him. Tamping it down he focused on the fast approaching city lights. What would've changed in the half decade he'd been away. The answer was apparent from well beyond the city limits, everything.

What had once been a sleepy country town had boomed into a small midwestern city. Once only the library and courthouse had stood taller then one story, now three and four story buildings seemed to be the norm. The sidewalks hummed with people, laughing as they celebrated the start of the weekend despite the still chilly March air.

In different circumstances Joey might have been saddened at what had happened to his home town. Given what he'd returned to do though. _No._ Joey stopped himself. _I'll have to deal with that soon enough... Not yet._ Pulling into the parking lot of a familiar building Joey parked. The sign above the door read "The Excellent Cafe". The name appeared to be the only thing that had changed. Joey entered to find the same diner modeled after a nineteen fifties dairy bar.

"Hi, my names Kate and I'll be your server, can I start you off with a drink?" the friendly dark haired girl asked as Joey took a seat at a corner booth.

"Coffee, black please." Joey said, rubbing his eyes he readjusted his red bandana.

"Do I know you?" Kate asked, not bothering to scribble down the coffee on her note pad.

"Doubt it" Joey said. "This is my first time here in a long time."

"Huh, well I'll get that coffee for you while you have a look at the menu."

Joey perused the menu and decided on a club sandwich and french fries. He'd just raised his cup of coffee to his lips when a newspaper slapped down in front of him. The picture on the front was unmistakable. Looking up at Kate, Joey took a sip.

"I knew you looked too familiar!" Kate said, her voice frothing with excitement. "It's you! You're Joey Frost, point guard of the Unforgetables!" Glancing around the rest of the diner Joey motioned for the girl to join him at the table. Luckily no one in the sparsely populated dining room seemed to notice her excitement.

"Yeah, I am."

"I was there. At the championship game! That was so cool how you gave Richard those free throws."

"You've a good memory." Joey said, unsure how to react. "You don't hardly look old enough to have been there though."

"I was a freshmen." Kate said, smiling.

"So that would put you in the class of ninety-five" Joey said. "So what on earth are you doing here?"

"Eh, I did three semesters of college and now I'm taking some time off to earn some money and reconsider what I want to do... So, you're just getting back into town, do you have a place to stay?" Joey had to give her credit. She did a good job at making the question seem like idle curiosity.

"I've made arrangements." Joey said, readjusting his fingers to emphasize the gold ring on his left hand. Catching site of it Kate seemed disappointed. Pushing the newspaper toward him she stood up.

"You want anything besides coffee?" After placing his order Joey pulled the paper toward him but Kate spoke again. "Hey my shifts over in about half an hour. Mind if I come back and chat? Just curious what you've been up to" she hastened to add. "You all are still a topic of gossip around town."

"Fine by me" Joey said. As she walked away Joey stared at the picture on the front page.

Though he'd seen it a thousand times before he still smiled. A photo of their entire high school crew in their cap and gowns on the steps in front of the school. The headline read "The Unforgetables: Five Years On". Joey started reading the column.

_'To long time residents of Raccoon City this month marks the celebration of a great moment in history. Five years ago, in the midst of swirling adversity, injuries and the death of a student dear to their hearts, the Unforgetables managed to win the final Colorado State Basketball tournament played before the beginning of the division era. Overcoming three number one seeds, an unprecedented feat in and of itself the Wildcats faced no less then four schools with at least four times their enrollment. The discouraging numbers'_

Joey unfolded the news paper to the corresponding page to continue reading and gasped at the accompanying pictures. One was of the team in their uniforms with Coach Burton. Another was from his Junior year and showed Rebecca Chambers, Jill Valentine, Sherry Birkin and Claire Redfield all sitting on steel bleachers sticking their tongues out at the camera. The final one was the one that made his breath catch. It was of his team, standing at their final four game, wearing black jerseys with the name "Birkin" on them. His eyes burned as bad memories rose from the depths of his mind. Pushing them away Joey scanned the page and found the article.

_'weren't the only things plaguing our young friends. They also contended with the mid-season loss of their point guard(picture A far right) Richard Alken, to an injury stemming from an automobile accident that also nearly ended the life of his girlfriend Rebecca Chambers(Photo B second from the left). Things only seemed to go downhill from there for a time. Within a month nearly all the starting roster had been benched after a string of losses and, most tragic of all. At the end of January Sherry Birkin(photo B far left) was killed in an automobile accident involving a drunk driver. The black jersey's featured in photo C were worn by the team to commemorate her and her all too short life._

_However the season marched on and we all know how that ended. The only questions is, where are the Unforgetables now? That turns out to be a question with a lot of answers. Everyone knows Forest Spayer played four years of college basketball at the University of Kentucky(where he helped win the schools sixth national championship in 1996) and is currently playing professional basketball in Japan.'_

Joey smiled at the thought of Forest in Japan trying to figure out what his teammates wanted him to do on the court. Kate brought his food and he ate as he continued reading.

_'Outside of him, no one else from the team appears to have continued in athletics. Chris Redfield and Billy Coen are both serving active duty in the air force and marines respectively, though their exact deployment is unknown. Richard Alken earned an Associates of Art's and Science's in Criminal Justice from Delta Tech and is now one of Raccoon Cities finest. The final member of the group turns out to be the most elusive. Best known for giving two of his free throw shots(stemming from a technical foul from the opposing team) to Richard Alken in the title game, despite the former point guard not having played a minute in months due to injury, Joey Frost along with his parents seems to have vanished into thin air. The once proud Frost's, pillars of Raccoon and Joey Frost the towns favorite son are nowhere to be found. After graduating high school Joey left to spend time in California before attending UCLA. Robert and Amie Frost departed shortly there after to resume research involving viral vectoring in Denver.'_

Joey felt another pang in his gut at the mention of his parents. _This is all their fault._ Joey told himself, and no matter how he thought about it that fact didn't seem to change. That was for another night though. Tonight wasn't a night to deal with that issue.

'_Wherever they've landed I think I speak for all of Raccoon when I say we wish them well. A final note to anyone who followed the season. The fate of three young ladies may be of interest as they were quite instrumental in making that magical season what it was. Rebecca Chambers(photo B second from the left) is currently a first responder at Raccoon General, where she has worked since 1995. Claire Redfield is in college at the University of Colorado and Jill Valentine, much like the Frost's has disappeared without a trace.'_

Joey stared at the last paragraph. _Rebecca's an EMT? No way._ He thought, folding up the news paper and pushing it away. Joey finished his food and was about to reach for his wallet when Kate dropped into the seat opposite him.

"So, read anything you didn't know?" Kate asked, glancing at the wrinkled newspaper.

"Yeah, pretty much all the fates of my teammates." Joey said, gulping the last of his coffee. "We never kept in touch the way we said we would."

"That seems to be the case with most bands of high school friends."

"Seems so... Listen I've gotta get going, but can you do me a favor?" Joey said, feeling slightly sick at the idea of being bombarded with questions about his parents and life since leaving Raccoon.

"I guess so" Kate said, sounding curious.

"Get out of this town. As soon as you can, leave." Joey said.

"What?" Kate said in a voice that mixed shock and disbelief.

"This place is no good anymore... You seem nice, don't let this town-" Joey broke off. "Just trust me, this place is toxic."

Joey stood and pulled a twenty dollar bill from his wallet. He bid Kate a goodnight as he placed it on the table and headed outside. Whether it was his bizarre behavior or the nearly two hundred percent tip he'd left her, she was too stunned to follow.

Joey climbed into his trailblazer and started the engine. He fingered the wallet sized photo he kept next to his speedometer. The motionless forms in the photo forever smiling back at him. His eyes burning again, Joey slammed the door and gritted his teeth.

It was time to get to his hotel and get some sleep, the next few weeks were going to be busy. Joey gave one last swear as he shifted into reverse and looked in the mirror. God how he missed his old Trans Am.

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The wind ruffled Rebecca's short auburn hair as she sipped on her coffee. Looking around the hospital court yard she scratched her head and adjusted her raybans. The neat square stone area was nearly deserted. Despite the bright sunshine the air remained too cold for most people. It was honestly too cold for her liking, but it meant she could be alone for a while.

"Another day in the life" Rebecca said, sighing before nibbling on her sandwich. A short distance away the hospitals front doors opened but she paid no attention. If there was anything urgent they would page her.

The week hadn't been bad so far, but after two years as an emergency medical technician, what had once been exciting and almost fun had become nearly mundane. Just a couple more years. She thought, staring at the ground. The thought seemed like wishful thinking to her.

"Howdy stranger" said a familiar voice. Rebecca looked up to see Barry Burton of all people standing a few feet away.

"Coach" Rebecca said, hopping down off the small stone wall she had been sitting on.

"I never coached you, and in any case I'm retired from that... I'm just Barry to you now."

Rebecca chuckled as Barry drew her into a one armed hug. She hadn't seen Coach Bur, Barry, since the year she graduated high school. Since before- Rebecca pushed the thought away, determined to enjoy seeing a friendly face.

"So what brings you here Barry?"

"Just a check up" Barry said. "That old fart Cody wants me on medicine for my blood pressure."

"Sucks" Rebecca said laughing. "He told me last time I need to gain weight or I'm gonna start having nutrient deficiencies."

"I see you're taking that order seriously" Barry said, eying Rebecca's half eaten peanut butter sandwich and cup of coffee. "Why don't you come have lunch with me? I'll get you something at Old Town."

"You don't have to-"

"Nonsense!" Barry said jovially. "I'm an old pensioner now. I'm supposed to spend money recklessly."

Rebecca considered arguing, but a burger and fries from Old Town was too good of an offer to pass up. It took only ten minutes to walk the short distance to the restaurant and find an empty table. Rebecca removed her sunglasses and slipped them inside the chest pocket of her blue EMT uniform. After placing their orders Barry clasped his hands in front of him, resting his elbows on the table.

"How are you holding up girl?" Barry asked, in the kindest voice Rebecca had ever heard him use.

"I take it you're familiar with my... Situation?" Rebecca asked.

"Not really, everything I've heard was third or fourth hand. What happened to Mady and Alex?" Normally Rebecca refused any attempt by people to find out about the fates of her parents and younger sister, but Barry had been their friend to some extent and Rebecca thought he was asking because he genuinely cared about her.

"My Mom was never the same after Christy was born." Rebecca began. At moments like this Rebecca was glad she never wore makeup to work. "She'd get real sad some times, then she'd be normal for a while or at least that's what my Dad said. I was away at school by then... I'm ashamed to say that was part of the reason I didn't come home more. She'd always been devoutly catholic but after Christy it became an obsession."

"I take it you didn't share her beliefs?" Barry asked.

"No" Rebecca said, her tone flat. "Then at the end of February two years ago my Dad left for some kind of conference in Los Angeles and Christy got sick. Some kind of viral pneumonia."

"Oh my" Barry said, gasping.

"They put her in the hospital and umm" Rebecca bowed her head, staring at her hands folded in her lap. The tears stinging her eyes. "She didn't make it... And... And the same night all that happened my Dad was murdered." Barry sat in stunned silence.

"I'd... I'd heard rumors but I thought it was just a rumor..."

"Mugging gone wrong... Or that's what the detectives said anyway. Case's been cold pretty much front he start."

"No words can describe-"

"After that, I came home from school" Rebecca plowed on. "I finished up my sophomore year going to campus twice a week while I tried to help my Mom hold it together but... I came home one night that June and... And..." Rebecca bit her lip to stop a wail of pain from escaping her. "And she was dead... She took too many of some sleeping pills the doctor gave her. The coroner ruled it accidental."

"Becca" Barry said, his voice shaky. "You went through this all alone?"

"Well, I've still got Tommy" Rebecca said, lifting her head and grinning. "After that it was goodbye college and hello taking care of baby brother." Rebecca hoped she didn't sound bitter. She didn't resent her brother or her parents for that matter. This wasn't their fault, but she'd never been sure how her voice should sound when she told that part of the story.

"And you can do that on what an EMT makes?" Barry asked, surprised.

"My parents both had 401K's, savings, life insurance and we get my Dad's pension from Umbrella until Tommy turns twenty-one... I do the EMT thing more to keep myself busy then because I need the money." The waitress delivered their food but Barry still sat stunned.

"So" Rebecca said, picking up her burger. "That's all I've got for masterpiece theater."

"That's a lot more then any young woman would have to bare." Rebecca shrugged.

"What choice do I have. The only living family I've got is one aunt and she's been in failing health since before all this happened. It was either put off school or dump my kid brother in an orphanage."

"That's just... Terrible" Barry said.

"Tommy graduates next spring... After that I'm selling the house and we're both going to school somewhere. There's nothing left for us here anymore."

"That sounds like a fine idea." Barry said, pushing away the plate with his untouched food. "Well I'm sorry I made you go through all of that."

"It's okay" Rebecca said, finishing her own food. "Talking about it helps but, I can't stand the way some people look at me when I do."

"Well... I'm afraid I don't have a story of misery to match. I retired from teaching after the ninety-five school year. Now I'm working for the RPD trying to help them resurrect this chapter of the STARS program."

"How are you girls?" Rebecca asked, pondering how old Barry was. Teachers retirement could start after twenty years, but she knew he'd been in the military during Vietnam.

"They're great, my oldest will be a freshmen next year!" Barry said, some of the despair leaving his face. They chatted for a few more minutes while the waitress brought Barry the check. "Say, would you wanna have a drink with me and a buddy of mine on Friday night?"

"A buddy?" Rebecca asked, suspicious.

"Young fella with the RPD, I think you'd like him." Barry said, busying himself with signing the check.

"Barry, I'm trying to get out of this place not put down roots." Rebecca said, laughing slightly.

"I asked you to have a drink with me and a friend, not if you were okay with me arranging a damn marriage!" Barry said, though it came out more as a grunt.

"Well" Rebecca said, laughing harder now. "I don't work Friday so I guess it couldn't hurt. Say Molly Mallones around nine?" Barry affirmed that that would be good and they both stood to leave.

Before she could say anything, Barry drew her into a tight embrace. It wasn't a friendly hug like the one he'd given her outside the hospital, this was stiffer and more paternal.

"You listen here" Barry said, releasing her. "From now on if you need anything, you come to me. Whether it's an ear, advice, help with a problem, you can call any time. Day or night."

Rebecca smiled at him. A high school teacher she hadn't spoken to or even thought of in nearly half a decade had just offered to give her any help she needed. Most people saw the boom that the umbrella plant had brought as a good thing. Even Rebecca had to admit it was. In all the chaos, expansion and growth however, this was what had been lost. A good person, trying to help another good person, just because it was the right thing to do. She nodded.

"I will, and the same goes for you, Barry." With that, Rebecca put on her aviators and began the walk back to the hospital.

**Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter and whether you did or not please lave a review to tell me why. I welcome all feedback as I cannot improve as a writer without it. **


	2. Better Days

A/N: Big thanks to my reviewers and I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 2: Better Days

Rebecca squinted against the harsh light of the bulbs that hung over her bathroom mirror. Her makeup, if a little foundation and lipstick even qualified as putting on makeup, looked good enough to her. She'd never been very skilled at any of this stuff. It was something she hadn't even attempted until college, away from the watchful eye of her mother who had heartily disaproved of young girls wearing makeup. Running her hands through her long auburn hair she turned to find her brother Tommy leaning against the door frame.

"What's got you all gussied up tonight?" Tommy asked, smirking. Clad in a blue Denver Bronco's hooded sweatshirt and jeans, Tommy was easily a head taller then her. With his black hair and green eyes most people said he could've passed for a young version of their father.

"Going out with some friends." Rebecca said, glancing sideways into the mirror to catch another angle on how she looked.

"That's a change" Tommy said, sounding genuinely surprised.

"Ha-ha" Rebecca turned off the bathroom light as she slipped by him.

"So who's the guy?" Tommy asked, in a failed nonchalant voice.

"Ha a teacher from high school and a friend of his... I'm not looking for a boyfriend." Rebecca said, picking up her purse from the night stand by her bed. "What are you getting into tonight?"

"Just going cruising with some friends." Tommy said, trying a little too hard to sound casual in Rebecca's estimation.

"Just don't do anything too stupid will you?"

"Promise" they both laughed. "Can I have some money?"

"Sure, you need a ride anywhere?"

"No, Sheva's picking me up" Tommy said. "But Becca, when can we have another talk about me getting a car of my own?" Tommy asked, accepting the thirty dollars Rebecca handed him.

"I've told you twice already that we can talk about it this summer once you have a job and can at least afford to keep gas in it." Rebecca said, keeping the irritation out of her voice with difficulty. "I'm not gonna hand you money for every little thing."

"You mean like Mom and Dad did for you?" Tommay said, gritting his teeth. Rebecca felt her hands ball into fists as she glared at Tommy who immediately became very interested in his shoe laces. "I'm sor-"

"Save it!" Rebecca said in a quiet dangerous voice. "Go have fun and be home by midnight." Without another word, Rebecca stormed from the house, slamming the door behind her.

By the time she arrived at the pub her temper had cooled. Tommy was just a hot headed kid who was jealous. There was no reason to stay angry at him. _He's not entirely wrong either._ Rebecca thought as she pulled into a parking spot. She did mentally swear at him as she stepped out of her car. In her haste to leave she'd forgotten her suede jacket and the thin black windbreaker covering her black University of Colorado t-shirt did little to block the bite of the cold night.

A wave of sound hit her as she opened the door. Traditional gaelic style music permeated the wood paneled room. She crossed to the bar and took a seat on an open stool. The grey haired bartender came over to her, already holding a bottle Stolichnaya vodka.

"The usual I presume?" Willy asked, smiling.

"Screwdriver no ice" Rebecca said. "You know me so well."

"Enjoy" Willy said, after handing her the drink he moved back to the other end of the bar to refill other patrons drinks.

Rebecca took a large gulp of the drink and shuddered. Willy always put a little extra alcohol in the first few drinks he sold people. As a retired fireman he also used higher shelf alcohol in mixed drinks for first responders. Glancing around the bar Rebecca concluded that Barry wasn't there yet. Rebecca had finished her first drink and was about to call for another when someone sat down beside her.

"Put her next one on my tab!" The man called over the din of the music.

"I don't let strangers buy me drinks." Rebecca said, trying to sound polite.

"Stranger now am I?" Asked the man as Rebecca turned to face him.

The man's short cropped brown hair blended seamlessly into his full beard. Broad in the shoulders, he was powerfully built and wearing an RPD uniform. Something was immediately familiar about him. It wasn't until she noticed his eye's that it clicked. Light sky blue and unmistakable.

"Richard!" Rebecca said, jumping off her stool to hug him.

"I wondered why Barry was being so mysterious about this meeting." Richard said, patting her on the back. "Sorry I'm late, right before I was supposed to go off duty there was an accident. Some asshole a sports car blew through a red light and caused a U-Haul to get t-boned by an F-150."

"Oh my god, where is Barry anyway?" Rebecca asked, she sat back down and sipped at her new drink.

"At home, his wife got sick early today appearantly" Richard said, the pair grinned at each other. "But anyway, how've you been Becca? I guess I haven't seen you since we broke up your freshmen year of college."

"I've been..." Rebecca broke off, frowning. The memory of their last meeting emerging from her mind. They hadn't exactly broken up so much as parted ways. They'd agree to stay friends and Rebecca had thought about trying to contact him several times but never had. An icy dread swept down her spine, she wasn't sure how to talk to Richard about her plight. "I've been okay I guess."

"Barry said you're an EMT, why?" Richard asked, clearly not buying her carefree facade.

"I just decided to take some time off from college to see the world and explore a little bit. Truth be told I couldn't decide on a major and didn't want to waste money while I figured it out." Rebecca was surprised at how naturally the lies formed in her mind. She couldn't even describe why she didn't want to tell him.

"Hmmm well that's better then wasting the money I suppose. I guess you can tell what I've been up to" Richard laughed. "I was gonna put on something nicer but I pretty much had to come straight here from work."

"I'm glad you've done well Richard" Rebecca giggled as the effects of the vodka began to sink in. "You kept up with anyone else from high school?"

They sat and whiled away the hours talking about different people they'd bumped into over the years and what they were doing now. Swapping stories about work and the plentiful adventures they'd both managed to get into while intoxicated, some of them even at the bar they were in. At half passed midnight Rebecca stood and swayed slightly.

"Guess I better call a cab" She said, taking a mental note of all her faculties.

"I can give you a ride home, as long as you've got a way back to your car in the morning."

"I guess that sounds good." Rebecca said, weighing her options.

It only took a split second to decide. Rebecca turned as Richard stood up, pocketing the receipt from his tab. Rebecca leaned in and kissed him. The initial shock seemed to wear off in the hurry as Richard moved swiftly to embrace her. In that moment, Rebecca forgot. Her sister might never have died and father been stolen from her. In one moment it seemed like her life hadn't been derailed, instead she was where she was supposed to be.

"Or you can take me home in the morning" Rebecca whispered as she pulled away. "If you know what I mean."

"I like that idea" Richard said. "I'll warn you now, my car is a mess."

"You still driving that old Duster Joey fixed up for you senior year?" Rebecca asked as they stepped out into the darkness of the cold march night.

"Maybe..." they both laughed and Rebecca decided that for one night, she could afford to let herself be happy again.

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Joey pushed open the door gently, scanning the room with his flashlight as he tried the light switch. He hadn't really expected it to work, still that would make his job harder. Stepping inside and shutting the door Joey dropped the beam of his flashlight to waist height. He didn't want anyone passing by on the road to see the light inside and wonder who was up here after all these years. _I wonder if there's anyone left who would even know to care._ With that Joey let his eyes adjust to his first look at his childhood home in half a decade.

His parents had left everything and simply bought what they needed new when they moved. The same ornate wooden table sat near the base of the stairs and with a quick glance Joey was sure he could've walked into the living room and lounged on the same couch he'd whiled away hours on when he should've been studying. The house smelled of mold, rott and the natural decay of a place left to the elements. Surprisingly few of the windows had been damaged and while the house was in disrepair it wouldn't have taken much to make it comfortable again.

Joey crept down the hall, his feet retracing steps they knew all to well. Just before reaching the kitchen he stopped and opened the door leading to the basement. Behind the walls sounds of scurrying and squeling could be heard. Joey gingerly put his weight on the wooden step. It didn't seem to have rotted, still he proceeded with caution. By the time he gained the stability of the basemeant floor Joey felt sick. The smell was worse down here, but that wasn't what bothered him.

This house and his family had once been the envy of raccoon. People had respected them even more then the Ashford's or the Wesker's, despite his family not having quite the limitless fortune the others did. Now this is what his parents legacy had come to. As far as the world would know, their lives and work had counted for nothing. I hope I'm right. Joey thought.

He moved to the back room and pulled up the two loose floorboards that had always hidden his parents safe. Joey spun the wheel entering two, two, three, six. The safe opened to reveal a thick sealed envelope with a note taped to the front. Pulling it out Joey leaned against the wall, holding his light high he began to read.

_Son,_

_I hope this note finds you well. In truth I hope that you never read it. If you are, then we are likely dead, or worse. You must get the information in the envelope to someone who can help. Knowledge of these viruses is imperative. I'm sorry if our naivety and curruption has changed your fate. Remember always Joseph, you were our greatest creation. We love you more then life itself._

_May God rest and keep you, always._

Joey sniffed as he read the note. Written in his mothers neat cursive scrip it drove home how long it had been since he'd seen his parents, and how likely it was that he'd never see them again. He wasn't going to open the envelope here though. After closing the safe and replacing the floor boards Joey exited the house and wove his way dwon the hill to the access road where his car was parked. A brand new nineteen ninety eight black trans am. It had been a long time since he'd had such a small car to drive.

Nearly falling into drivers seat Joey dropped the envelope into the passengers seat. As he did he caught site of something written on the front of the envelope in red permanant marker. The neat block letters his father had always used to label boxes of junk in the garage spelled out four strange words.

_Umbrella_

_Progenator_

_GenTech_

_Tyrant_

_Veronica?_

_Key_

Running his fingers over the large letters, Joey sighed. Why couldn't hey have made this a little easier. A shrill tone sounded from the back seat. Retrieving the cell phone Joey read a two word text message.

_Tomorrow, eight_

"I guess I'm gonna be pretty busy from here on out." Joey said, shutting the door. "Now I've got to figure out what to do with this stuff." Joey looked up the hill where the second floor of the house was still visible over the tree tops. "I miss you guys." Joey took one last deep breath before heading back to his apartment for some sleep.


	3. Strange Times

Chapter 3: Strange Times

Rebecca sipped at her coffee, trying to ignore the insistent pounding in her head. Despite the evidence of intoxication she could remember the nights events quite clearly. Right up to waking up next to Richard an hour and a half before and riding to her car with a nauseating headache. They hadn't spoken much that morning other then to say they wanted to see each other more and exchange phone numbers. Well, Rebecca had gotten Richard's new number anyway, the number to her house phone was older then she was.

Now she sat on one of the benches that flanked the picnic style kitchen table that her mother had bought. Warm spring sunlight streamed in through sheer curtains covering the four window pains. White cabinets covered most of the walls, except for the space occupied by the black appliances and the opening to the dining room.

Checking the time, Rebecca yawned and stretched. It was only half passed ten. The effects of the caffeine and aspirin working their magic she was starting to shirk off the hangover. Still she thought today would be a good day to lounge around the house in her sweats and watch some television. Tommy walked into the room as Rebecca sipped at her coffee again. He wore the smug look Rebecca knew meant he was about to have some fun with her about staying out all night.

"So" Tommy said, "was he good?" Rebecca nearly choked on her coffee.

"Ass!" Rebecca said, spluttering and coughing.

"Couldn't resist" Tommy said, laughing apologetically. "I'm glad you got to have some fun though."

"Yeah, especially since it means you didn't get caught violating curfew." Rebecca watched Tommy's face and saw the faintest flick of his eyes.

"I was home on time, unlike some people." Rebecca smiled, deciding to let him get away with it this time.

"Okay, I'll believe you. So what did you all end up doing last night?"

"Picked up some friends and cruised out to the trackes. Then we poked around the gate at that creepy mansion out in the woods."

"The old Spencer place?" Rebecca asked. "Don't go poking around that place, the last thing I need is Oswald Spencer on my doorstep claiming property damage."

"Becca you know he hasn't lived here since, oh, I don't know, you were in high school?"

"Yeah well someones keeping that place up. Just stay away from it, will you?" Rebecca finished her coffee as Tommy nodded. She knew he would go back and poke around if his friends pushed him to but at least maybe he wouldn't do it of his own now.

"So who was Burton's friend?" Tommy asked.

"Richard" Rebecca said, in a matter of fact tone.

"Ohhhhhh, rekindling an old fling huh?"

"Hey, I deserve a little fun now and then." Rebecca said, feeling this had to be one of the strangest conversations she'd ever had with her brother. _Then again, I'm not Mom, I know he knows about this stuff._ Rebecca thought.

"You do... I actually wanted to say... I'm sorry." Tommy said, starring at his bare feet. "What I said last night was wrong. I know it was different when you were in school and... And I do know what you did by quitting school to come back home." Rebecca stared at him, eyes wide.

Hers and Tommy's relationship since their parents deaths had been, strained. Since her only alternative would've been to let Tommy live alone she hadn't had much choice in the matter. He'd always grudgingly respected her as the authority figure because he knew that had it not been for him she would be working on her masters degree by now. They rarely talked about this fact or their parents, too many painful memories.

"Tommy there's nothing about this that doesn't suck." Rebecca said, trying to sound warm, though the still slight pounding in her head made it difficult. "If Mom and Dad were here things would be different, but they aren't. There's still a lot of money left but that has to basically support us through the next year. Then put you through four years of college and me through two and that's if neither of us go to graduate school." Rebecca wondered not for the first time if she'd still want to persue a Ph.D in molecular biology by the time she returned to school.

"I know" still starring at his feet. "I miss them..." Rebecca stood and walked to her younger brother. Pulling him into a one armed hug she said.

"I miss them too Tommy boy..." Tommy hugged her and pulled away.

"Sorry..."

"Don't be" Rebecca said, smiling. "Now go get dressed. Once my headache goes away we'll go down to the Chevy dealership by the police station and have a look at what they've got used." Tommy's face split into a wide grin.

"Really?"

"I'm not saying we're gonna buy anything today, but it can't hurt to start looking for a good deal." Rebecca said.

Tommy nearly upset the bench in his haste to get out the door. Smiling, Rebecca ran her hands through her dirty brown hair, debating on whether she had time for a shower or if she should just tie it back with her bandana. It's time for a change. Rebecca thought as she headed off to her bedroom.

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Richard reclined in the swivel chair, staring up at the array of monitors mounted to the wall. His weekend job might not be the most exciting thing in the world, but two hundred dollars was two hundred dollars. After quickly scanning the monitors he returned to the thirteen inch TV he had sitting on the desk. The college basketball game he'd been watching was ended with the Arizona Wildcats heading to the final game of the NCAA. Richard yawned, scanning the monitors again.

_Umbrella, you're lucky you pay well._ Richard thought. He let his mind wander back to the night off with Rebecca. Now just over a week passed they'd only spoken to each other once and agreed to have dinner the following night since Sunday was the only day they both had off from work. The whole thing seemed like a dream, Barry showing up out of nowhere to ask him to go for a drink, seeing Rebecca again.

_It's almost like we picked up our life where we left off._ Richard thought, smiling. Flipping through the few channels the rabbit eared television picked up he settled on an "I Love Lucy" rerun before spotting the time. Passed eleven, better take a walk. Standing up he stretched. One good thing about Umbrella was that there dress code just said you had to be able to "easily defend yourself in a crisis". _Translation "we don't care, just make sure you have ID on you."_ Richard laughed.

Setting out to walk around the warehouse Richard inventoried his equipment. Nine millimeter beretta on side, kabar combat knife and maglight flashlight on the other. It took only a few minutes to sweep the handful of offices in the back where the guard station was. Stepping out into the storage area he flipped the switch. Dozens of florescent bulbs burst to life, augmenting the always on emergency lights. Richard circled the pallets of pharmaceuticals and raw chemicals.

The place had an almost spooky feel about it when it was empty. The only sound, the echoing of his footsteps on the concrete floor. Walking around the edge Richard peered between the pallets. Sometimes I don't even know why I bother. Richard thought, yawning again. _But when I say I'm gonna do a job I do it right._ After finishing a circuit of the outside of the grid he started down the large row through the center. As he walked through the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He'd been ignoring the fact that it sounded like someone else was walking around. Putting off the footsteps to echoes. Now something else seemed more wrong. More then once he stopped and spun around, hand on his gun and every time he saw nothing.

Something ate at him though, like he'd seen something when he turned but hadn't recognized it. Reaching the center of the shelf and pallet grid, Richard turned and saw something that confirmed his suspision. Down one of the large aisles that made a T across the center was a pallet with it's protective cellophane cut to shreds. Richard drew his gun and walked slowly toward the oddity. What was strange was that the opened pallet was on the second shelf from the floor. Someone would've had to climb to it.

Richard's heart skipped a beat as the lights overhead died. Whoever's here threw the breaker. Fortunately one of the lights that couldn't be turned off this way for safety reasons was a few feet away, providing him with enough light to get his flashlight out and hold it up and away with his left hand, cradling his weapon with the other. Now the sound of footsteps was unmistakable. They were no longer tip toeing, trying to mirror his but running, straight at him by the sound of it.

His heart seemed to be in his throat as terror gripped him. Turning toward the center of the room Richard saw a dark blur dart into the middle of the circle of light and then, inexplicably disapear. Before Richard could do anything more then open his mouth to tell the theif to stop or he'd shoot, something seized the arm that held the gun, forcing it upward the figure spun him to the floor pulling the weighted maglight flashlight from his hand. Richard hit the floor and rolled over just as the weighted end of the flashlight struck his temple and he knew no more.

Richard was dimly aware of a great deal of comotion. Grogily opening one eye he saw the dark of the warehouse ceiling. Sitting up Richard tenderly pressed a hand to his head. It pulsed painfully but he didn't seem otherwise impaired. He heard people running around the offices in the back of the warehouse. His wits returned to him in a rush. Rolling onto his stomach Richard spotted and retrieved his flashlight and his gun. He crept to the edge of the light that shined in the center of the room before a voice yelled.

"This is the RPD, you're surrounded. Come out with your hands up!"

"Calm down Enrico, it's Richard Alken. Badge number four, four, two, six, I drive an old Duster you've commented on before." Richard said loudly.

"What the hell is going on in here Richard?" Enrico asked, his voice drawing nearer with every word. Richard stepped out to meet him before he reached the center area. As a senior officer and the current commander of the RPD SWAT team, Enrico's presents commanded a certain amount of respect. The fact that he was tall, powerfully build with dark hair and a goatee to rival Barry's didn't hurt either.

"I'm the security guard on duty here" Richard said. "I was investigating an open pallet when I was attacked by an intruder, I got knocked out and now you guys are here, that's all I know."

"Did you get a look at the guy?" Enrico asked.

"No, it all happened quick. He was wearing a long black coat and... Grey?" Richard thought hard. "Dammit that's all I can remember." Enrico's radio crackled to life and informed them that the warehouse had been fully swept and was empty.

"Alright, radio out for burglary to get down here." Enrico said into the radio.

"How did you all know and why did you bring the SWAT team down here?"

"An alarm must've gotten tripped on the guys way out and Umbrella is... Important enough to warrant this." Enrico said, a bit of disdain in his voice. "The detectives will wanna take your statement so lets get you checked out by a medic before they show up."

Once the paramedics had looked him over Richard returned to his office to wait for someone to show up to talk to him. Well over an hour later he finally heard footsteps approaching and a knock at the door. He called for them to enter and felt his jaw drop as the door opened. Standing in the hallway were the two very last people he was expecting to see.

Albert Wesker stood, sunglasses reflecting the dim light of the single overhead bulb and security monitors. His uniform was different then Richard's own that he wore for patrol. Grey with a dark blue vest, one short sleeve bore the patch marking him as a member of STARS. The other showed a patch indicating he was the ranking officer. Richard had heard rumors about this but he didn't know it had come so far. What was even more surprising was the man looking over Wesker's shoulder.

Joey Frost, complete with his trade mark bandanna. He eyed Richard with a very interested look. Even in Richard's state of confusion about what had happened tonight and what it would mean, well he'd certainly have to find himself a new side job, he noticed something. Once upon a time Richard would've said Joey was his best friend, hell he was still driving the car Joey had helped him fix during their senior year. Among his memorable features, at least back then, had been his goofy grin he nearly always had. Never one to take things too seriously. This on the other hand, looked like s eriouse man who was there for business.

"Joey? Wesker?" Richard asked, thinking. I guess jobs can make strange bed mates.

"The RPD S.T.A.R.S will be handling this investigation Officer Alken. Now I'm going to need to hear your account of what happened." Wesker said, his voice as steel just like it always was. He stepped aside to allow Joey into the room who closed the door behind him. Richard recounted his experience from the computer chair, both figures looming over him. You'd think I was a suspect. Richard thought as he finished, before realizing they had to look at him as a possible accomplice.

"Interesting" Joey said, scratching his chin. "That's a strange story, how long have you been the guard here?"

"About six months I guess." Richard said.

"Hmmmm, Wesker why don't you go take a look at the physical side of things and I'll keep talking to Richard." Joey said, Wesker agreed and a moment later Richard and Joey were alone int he room.

"I didn't have anything to do with this." Richard said, feeling defiant.

"I know you didn't. Come here you son bitch" Joey said, pulling Richard to his feet and hugging him. "I just wanted to get him out of the room."

Joey was grinning now but the intensity remained in his eyes. Richard was struck when he realized it had been nearly five years since he'd seen his friend. Wonder what happened to change him like this, Richard pondered. Richard sat back down in his chair after they broke apart.

"So what brings you back around here Joe?"

"Wesker wants to revive the S.T.A.R.S unit for some reason. He called me because I got my Bachelors in Computer Science and he needs a technology and communications specialist on his team... He seems to be trying to comprise the initial team of all hometown folks.

"Guess that's him trying to convince the tax payers it's worth the team is worth the expense." Richard said. "But what brings you back here? You were never interested in law enforcement."

"I'm handling communications and cyber investigations. I got my BS in Computer Science from UCLA last year. Wesker called me up out of the blue to offer me the job and I'd always kinda wanted to come back to Raccoon... And the pay isn't bad either." Joey said all of this with a breezy air about it but something didn't seem right

_It sounds rehearsed. _Stomping on the suspicion Richard looked at the monitor array. Wesker was talking to some crime scene technicians. Richard didn't recognize anyone on any of the investigation sites. Turning back to Joey, Richard asked.

"When's the last time you talked to Rebecca?"

"The day I left town for the coast" Joey laughed. "I read in the paper she's an EMT now?"

"Yeah she said she couldn't decide what she wanted to do in school."

"That doesn't sound like her... At all."

"I didn't think so either but who knows... You should reach out to her Joe, I'm sure she'd like to see you again."

"Maybe I will" Joey sounded uninterested, focused on the monitors showing the investigation. Richard glanced again and saw Wesker heading for the door leading to the exit.

"Guess you better go."

"I guess so... Well it was good seeing you. Don't be a stranger will you?"

"You to, you staying at your parents place?"

"Nope, got an apartment. That place is a decrepit moseleum." Joey jotted his phone number down on a sticky note and handed it to Richard. "It's the number to my cellphone. Give me a call and we'll grab a drink some time."

"Sounds good" Joey turned to leave before Richard thought to ask "Hey when did you get back into town?"

"A couple of weeks ago I guess, why?"

"Just curious... See you around Joe" Richard said, waving at Joey's back as the door closed behind him.

_That seemed... off._ Richard thought as he slumped back into his office chair. _Somethings not right about this whole night._ He waited for the monitors that showed camera feeds of the parking lot to show Joey and Wesker drive away before he left. Finally ending a very long and strange night.


	4. Friends and Foes

Chapter 4: Friends and Foes

"Miss Chambers!" A voice called to Rebecca from across the parking lot. The voice was unfamiliar but Rebecca stopped and turned anyway, thinking it was some administrator coming wanting a piece of paperwork signed. Her jaw dropped as she saw a man jogging toward her between the rows of cars, wearing what looked like an altered version of a police uniform. Tall with slicked back blonde hair and a prominent jaw, Albert Wesker didn't appear to have aged since graduation day. Complete with his trade mark aviators, the only noticeable difference was his clothing. _Alright didn't see that coming_

"Uh hi" Rebecca said, not knowing exactly how to greet him.

"I'm glad I came out when I did. Do you have a moment?" Wesker asked, stopping in front of her.

"Yeah, what do you want?" Rebecca asked, glancing at her watch. Her shift had ended at five and she was supposed to meet Richard for dinner in half an hour.

"What makes you assume I want something?"

"Because saying our two groups of friends hated each other in high school would undersell the shit we did to each other."

"Now Rebecca are you saying there's no way I could've changed? I was an ass hole back then, I admit it."

"Alright, I'll give you credit I wasn't expecting that." Rebecca said, smiling. "Whether you've changed or not I have somewhere I need to be so unless we have business."

"I want to offer you the position of Medical Officer on the Raccoon Police Departments Special Tactics and Rescue Service." Rebecca felt her jaw drop again.

"Berry mentioned something about you restarting their chapter here. Why me?" Wesker then did something Rebecca couldn't remember him doing since they were kids. He pulled his son glasses off and pocketed them. Rebecca considered him for a moment before he spoke.

"Because I like working with people I know I can trust."

"There's no way you're taking an EMT over all the highly qualified paramedics around here because you think you can't trust them." Rebecca said, folding her arms. "I'm not looking for a new job. Thanks for the offer."

"Barry mentioned you were planning to leave after Tommy graduates right? What is he class of ninety eight?"

"Yes, which means even including selling the house I'm only going to be here for another eighteen months." _I'm gonna smack Barry upside the head the next time I see him. _Rebecca thought after hearing how much he had talked about her.

"Then why not spend that time getting valuable experience on a team like this? Such experience could be very compelling on an application for say, medical school... And trust is a major factor in a team like this. We'll be small, fifteen at the most, and I want to make sure everyone on the team is the best that I can get. You may only be an EMT but you weren't valedictorian for nothing." Before Rebecca could reply Wesker put his sun glasses on. "Just think on it for, lets say a week or so. Sixty thousand a year, full benefits package... Plus you get to work with Barry and me." Wesker laughed as he turned away and strode toward the building.

"You still laugh like an evil scientist from a B list horror movie!" Rebecca called after him, laughing despite herself.

_That was, strange. _Rebecca thought as she got into her car. _Still, not a bad offer._ She had to admit that being an EMT had been becoming more and more mundane lately. Rebecca spent the drive across town thinking about what it might be like to work for something like STARS.

"Hey Richard" Rebecca said, seating herself across from him at a booth. The diner was crowded like it always was at this time.

"What's up is you've got some explaining to do" Richard said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the table. He wore civilian clothes today, dark jeans and a long sleeve flannel shirt.

"Oh?"

"You've been dodging my questions about your parents. So I did a little digging... I found the truth." Richard said, his face unreadable. "Why did you lie me? Hell why didn't you call me when it happend?"

"I didn't call because I didn't know what to say... I went from being on my way to a bachelors degree to an orphan with a kid depending on me in less then six months... And I didn't tell you about them because I didn't want to explain why I didn't reach out sooner" Rebecca said, feeling a blend of sorrow, anger and frustration. "And because whenever I tell anyone they get that pitying look... I just wanted... I just wanted things to be normal between us for a while."

"Well" Richard said, glancing at the date on his watch. "You got a few weeks of us being normal... What now?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean what can I do to help?" Richard asked and he sounded for all the world like he meant it. "Nothing has to change between us Becca... That must've been terrible and I don't like that you went through it all alone but there's nothing I can do about that unless you've invented a TARDIS in your spare time."

"A what?" Rebecca asked, puzzled.

"Uhhhh obscure sci fi reference. Anyway, is there anything I can do to help?" Rebecca reached out and clasped both of his hands in hers before speaking.

"I love you". The words hung in the air between them. Neither of them had said it since their reunion. Rebecca smiled, feeling the warmth of Richards hands in between hers. "You're a good man, one of the few. The only thing you can do for me is to treat me the way you always have... Can you do that?"

"Of coarse!"

"Then what do you say we give... whatever this is between us, one last try."

"So we're dating again?" Richard asked, sounding hopeful.

Rebecca pulled her hands back laughing. "Yes, I think you could say that.

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Joey stepped inside the main office of the STARS unit on the second floor of the Raccoon City police station. At least that's what the room would be soon enough. The original branch of STARS established in the town in nineteen seventy one had folded ten years prior, long before the city had repurposed the short lived Galetin Museum of Art as it's police station two years earlier.

The station had promised them ample space to work and had thus given them the largest room available, the buildings main storage room. The room now contained eleven desks, shoved between stacks of boxes, one for each member of the two five man teams, plus a desk at the head for Wesker. Joey moved carefully around the towers of junk toward the end of the room.

"Good morning Joseph, trust you like our new lodgings?" Wesker asked in his typical sarcastic tone.

Wesker sat behind a desk littered with papers. On one end a hand gun with the slide open rested on top of a pile of folders. Under the harsh light of the florescent bulbs over head Wesker had finally dispensed with his ever present sunglasses. Other then that he looked unchanged from the night of the break in.

"Yep, real nice place they gave us here." Joey said, half falling into an ancient chair across the desk from Wesker. The chair creaked and Joey silently hoped it wouldn't collapse.

"Despite it's present state this will make a very good space for us, once we've had time to set it up properly."

"How's the burglary investigation going?" Joey asked, anxious. "It's been over a week."

"As far as I know the burglary unit has absolutely no evidence or leads in the case." Wesker said, flashing his colder than steel smile at Joey. "It appears whoever did it committed the perfect crime."

"Well that's comforting." Joey said, breathing a heavy sigh. "So what am I doing here?"

"Why you work here of coarse?" Wesker said, the mock innocence in his voice made Joey want to lunge across the desk at him.

"What do you want?" Wesker smirked, carelessly sliding the gun off the stack of folders he pulled them to the center of the desk. "Meet the team, or at at least some of them."

Joey pulled the first folder toward him and opened it. He groaned as soon as he saw the picture paper clipped over top of the information sheet. _Wesker you're a sick prick you know that? _Joey thought, not for the first time. He put the file down on the desk and stared back at Wesker.

"Why are you dragging Chris into this?" Joey asked, managing to keep the outrage out of his voice with difficulty.

"I thought he would be the one that you wouldn't be surprised by." Wesker said, his surprise sounding genuine. "I would've thought that it would be Jill Valentine who would shock you." Joey blinked, dumbfounded.

"You, what?"

"I've also recruited Brad Vickers to serve as one of our helicopter pilots, oh and I almost forgot. Forest will be joining us toward the end of the summer." Wesker's smile widened as Joey looked at him, horrified.

"You recruiting anyone we didn't go to school with? I thought you, me and Burton were supposed to be the extent of the townies."

"The more you read and learn, the less your adversary will know."

"The Art of War, Sun Tzu." Joey said, smiling as the look of surprise returned to Wesker's face.

"Very good Joseph... As a matter of fact I am, but best I keep their names under wraps for the time being. The reason you're here is because I want you to help convince two people to join the team... Rebecca Chambers is my primary concern, but if Richard Alken will come then I welcome his presense."

"I'm not helping you do dick. No way am I dragging anyone else into this."

"We both know that's not true Joseph."

Joey stared at him. Wesker's eyes never waivered from his own. Gripping the arms of the chair hard Joey closed his eyes and took three deep breathes. The anger and sorrow this conversation was causing had threatened to overwhelm him but he couldn't. He had to be strong, there was no one else who could be. _I swear to god I'll pay you back for this Wesker if it's the last thing I ever do._

"I'll... Talk to them." Joey said, gritting his teeth. "Just tell me how you got Forest into this, I read in the paper he was playing basketball in Japan."

"Oh he had a fine career." Wesker said, sounding amused. "He tore his ACL in February and rather then ride out his recovery his team elected to simply buy out the remaining years of his contract... Essentially he became a millionaire by playing half of a season of basketball... I heard of his unfortunate injury and contacted him about applying his field of study, criminal justice, to a worthy cause."

"You're nothing if not an opportunist Wesker." Joey said. "When will Chris and Jill be here, and why the hell is Jill on this team to begin with?"

"Patience... They will be starting in a few weeks and as for Jill's... Qualifications, you'll just have to wait and find out."

Joey shook his head before reaching into the inside pocket of his jacket. He retrieved a cellphone, several model years old, the phone was in the shape of a large black box with only a keypad and no screen. Setting the phone on the desk Joey pushed it toward Wesker.

"What use do I have for this piece of junk?" Wesker asked, sounding confused.

"Every time you turn it on make sure you enter the numbers zero three nine two or the phone will wipe it's own firmware. Then enter the numbers two, five, eight, four, six, two and you'll hear a beep. Then you can enter a new electronic serial number and clone the phone to someone else's number... This way we can communicate without worrying about anyone listening in."

"And where exactly do you suggest I get a laundry list of ESN's from which to pull when neccessary?"

Joey looked at Wesker without cracking a smile. His superior attitude was one reason they had never gotten along as teenagers. "You're a smart guy, figure it out."

Wesker picked up the phone and rolled it between his hands. "This will be very useful Joseph, I give you my thanks and will remember to mention this to doctor Corley. Tell me though, where does an honest man such as you come accross such technology? I can't imagine one comes by something such as this legally."

"I bought it off a hacker I met in LA a few years back, some guy named Kevin." Joey said, standing up he turned to leave.

"For the time being, everything is fine." Wesker said, Joey stopped walking but didn't turn around. "I don't think I'll need you for another week or so, I'd use that time to reach out to your friends and nudge them toward accepting my offer... Keep things running smoothly Joseph and we'll all get out of this just fine."

Joey didn't reply, instead he strode from the room, slamming the door behind him. Leaning against the wall outside he took a deep breath. He'd known coming back to Raccoon wouldn't be easy, especially with what he knew he'd have to to do for Wesker. This was far worse then he could've ever imagined. There's no way this is some PR stunt Joey thought. _I've just gotta hold it together and figure out his plan._

The Sun Tzu quote had been clear enough. He was gathering up a team of people he knew very well. People he could manipulate and even pressure if necessary. _Nice moves Weskers._ Joey headed for the exit, thinking he might as well start trying to figure out how on earth he was going to convince Rebecca to get involved in this.


	5. One for the Road

**Chapter 5: One for the Road**

"Anyway, anyway" Joey said, sitting down his mug of beer and waving at Richard and Rebecca to quell their laughter. "I eat the worm at the bottom of the Mezcal bottle and black out. I wake up, I'm not in the Delta Chi house anymore. I'm in a fucking closet in the Sigma Nu house at the furthest possible point on campus from my dorm. So I crawl out and some fucker comes running through naked except for socks, being chased by some guy waving a toilet plunger screaming about betraying the brotherhood."

Joey took another drink from his mug of beer while Richard and Rebecca laughed hysterically. The noise of their laughter was nearly lost in the din of the noisy bar. Joey glanced around the room again, making sure no one was watching them through the haze of cigarette smoke and cheap lighting. Leaning back in his chair Joey sighed.

"Keep in mind that was like my second month of college." Joey said. As much as he hated to admit it, he was having a good time. Even with the prospect of trying to draw Rebecca and Richard into Wesker's trap looming, he had to admit talking to them did make him feel better. _Just too bad it can't last_ Joey thought.

"Wish I had stories that funny... My biggest college party experience was the time my friend Nick got hammered on moonshine and vomited all over my windshield." Richard said, wincing at the memory. "Why the asshole had to do that after eating Mexican I'll never know."

"Well here's to having our new adventures together!" Rebecca said, holding up her tequila sunrise.

"I'll drink to that." Joey said, they toasted the statement and Joey decided it was time to get to business. They'd sat in the bar for nearly two hours recounting their misspent youths. "So Becca, you given any thought to Wesker's offer?"

"A little" Rebecca said, finishing her drink and holding up a hand to call for another. "That why you invited us out tonight Joe?"

"No, but I thought you might like to know that Forest, Chris, Jill, Kenneth and Brad are all gonna be on it for sure... Your friend Enrico too Richard."

"I wouldn't call Enrico my friend" Richard said, lowering his glass of scotch without taking a drink. "There anyone on this team we didn't used to ball with back in the day?"

"Wesker, Barry and Enrico... Other then that it's all us townies." Joey took another drink and watched Rebecca. _Come on Rebecca, I need this!_ he thought, his beer suddenly tasting sour as the thought crossed his mind.

"I think I'm gonna do it... As long as it's not a contract." Rebecca said as the waitress set her new drink on the table.

"Really?" Joey asked, his heart hopeful he hadn't heard her wrong.

"Yeah, it sounds fun... Especially if it's all our old friends back together."

"Don't suppose Wesker's looking for a street cop to add to the mix?" Richard asked, laughing.

"Actually I'm supposed to tell you that he want's to offer you the same basic package as everyone... He didn't mention what your specialty would be but it's yours if you want it." Richard looked shocked, he clearly had expected Joey to say they already had all the help they needed.

"Well I guess I can't turn down a promotion"

_That was easier than expected_. Joey thought, taking another drink of beer. He looked around the room again, checking to see if anyone was watching them. The bar was noisy enough to give them a shield against eaves dropping. Joey felt something in his pocket vibrate. He pulled the phone out and glanced at the text message. "Tonight, ten". _Gives me a little over an hour to wrap things up and get ready._

"So how are your parents Joe?" Richard asked.

"Uh good I guess, I haven't talked to them in a while." Joey said, hoping his voice sounded more casual then it felt.

"They up to their ears in research again?" Rebecca asked, sipping at her tequila sunrise.

"Some things never change" Joey said, wondering when or if he'd ever see his parents again. "But they love it."

"Wish I loved my job that much" Rebecca said.

"Wish I made that much money at mine" Richard said. "Then I wouldn't need to do weekend shifts as a security guard."

"Well you'll get a raise working for STARS... How are your parents Richard?" Joey asked, downing the rest of his beer to give it time to digest before he had to leave.

"Doing fine... They moved to Omaha last year to take care of my grandmother."

"I didn't know that." Rebecca said, sounding indignant.

"You never asked!" the three laughed.

They talked and laughed for a while longer, but all to soon Joey made an excuse, closed his tab and headed outside. The late April air felt warm and thin on his skin. _What are the consequences of what I've just done? _Joey wondered as he drove across town. Wesker wanting them on the STARS team didn't make any sense, unless he was working an angle, but what could it be? Joey stopped at a gas station near the edge of the city and filled up with gas.

After checking to make sure no one was around he snapped on the holster with his glock 19 handgun in it to his belt. He put on a thin jacket to cover gun and headed inside. The only person in the store was an older man with dark black hair who slumped over the counter thumbing through that days local paper.

"You got a bathroom?" Joey asked.

"Back of the hall on the left." the man said, turning a page and not looking up.

Joey proceeded into the bathroom. Chipped paint and a blinking florescent bulb gave the room a derelict feeling. _Isn't this how all the horror movies start?_ Joey thought. A moment later a tall white man in a brown trench coat emerged from the only stall and looked at him.

"I guess this means the number you gave me was real" the man said.

"My parents notes just listed you as Trent, that what we're sticking with for now?" Joey asked.

"Yes, pardon the cloak and dagger but discretion is of the utmost importance. I'm sure you can understand." Trent said, he didn't smile.

"What I don't understand is what I'm doing in this shit hole in the middle of the night." Trent reached inside his trench coat and pulled out a padded envelope.

"This is the portion of your parents research that Umbrellas has. The rest has all either been destroyed or hidden... Your parents knew what they were doing, the missing pieces are the most important ones." Joey took the envelope and turned it over in his hands, it did seem to contain a thick stack of paper.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Let's just say that what has been done to your family is far from Umbrellas only sin... I've given you these so that you can know exactly what Umbrella knows. It's up to you to use that to your advantage. Now step aside, I'm going to walk out of here, you wait at least three minutes before following."

"How did you know my parents?" Joey asked, without moving.

"Perhaps someday I will have time for that story, but not now." Trent stepped forward and Joey swung his arm down to his gun, sweeping away his jacket. "Joseph one day you may become a hardened killer who kills at the slightest provocation... But you know as well as i do that there is still work for you to do and that you can't afford to be caught in anything... Messy."

Joey met his eyes and knew he had him beaten. If anything happened to him a lot of people would be hurt and a lot of questions would go unanswered. Joey stepped aside and Trent disappeared without another word. Several minutes later Joey emerged from the bathroom with the envelope tucked securely into the back of his jeans. The man behind the counter was upright and staring at him.

"Was beginning to wonder what you two were up to in there." Joey walked to the cooler and picked out a Pepsi to drink on the drive home.

"That guy took forever in the stall and your urinal is out of order, you should get that looked at." Joey said, dropping the soda and a one dollar bill onto the counter.

"That's someone else's problem." The man said, giving Joey his change. "Have a good evening"

Joey opened the back door of his trail blazer and pushed the envelope deep into the pouch on the back of the drivers seat. He popped the top on his Pepsi and took a swig as he climbed behind the wheel. _What a night_ he thought, starting the car. All he wanted now was to get home and get drunk, he'd figure out this envelope bullshit in the morning.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Rebecca paused at the bottom of the stairs and looked down the hallway she'd just walked through. There were two doors, one that she had come through that went back to another hallway, the other bore a sign on the door reading "Evidence Room". A third door was situated in a corner beyond the stairs and had no label on it.

"The lady at the desk said it was on the second floor off the hallway after the big statue." Rebecca said, wondering how long it was going to take her to learn the layout of this maze. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of watermelon bubble gum and popped it in her mouth. There were two officers at the top of the stairs discussing something. One of them turned as Rebecca reached the landing.

She knew she must look out of place. Despite her red and white stars uniform she didn't think she really seemed like a cop. _Am I a cop_ she thought, suddenly wondering what authority she had because of her place on this team. The man who had turned was wearing the standard blue RPD uniform. He sized her up before saying.

"Can I help you?"

"You guys know where the stars office is?" Rebecca asked, making an effort not to chew her gum as she spoke. The man turned and pointed down the hall.

"Go down passed the ugly statue and through the door, you'll turn left and it's the first door on your left."

"Thanks" Rebecca said, turning to leave.

"Hey wait a second, you're on the new stars team?"

"Yeah, I'm their field medic." Rebecca said, glancing at him as he took a step toward her and stuck his hand out.

"Kevin Ryman, nice to meet you" the man said with a smile.

"Rebecca Chambers, nice to meet you too" Rebecca said, shaking his hand. The second man walked up beside Kevin, his light blue shirt marked him an officer.

"Marvin Baragh, pleasure to finally meet one of you guys" the man said, in a high pitched tone that didn't seem to match his dark black skin.

"The pleasure is mine... But haven't Wesker, Joey and Barry been working on the program for months? How haven't you met any of them?" Rebecca asked.

"Wesker and the guy with the bandana, I guess that would be Joey have pretty much only been working on setting up the stars office and Burton has been out trying to get enough weapons to arm a small country from what I hear. Needless to say they don't really associate with the guy who hands out beat cop assignments." Marvin grinned though there was a touch of annoyance in his voice.

"Hell if I know" Rebecca said, returning their smiles. "Not that I think I'm too good to talk to anyone but I really do need to report for duty."

"No problem, feel free to track us down if you need help with anything" Kevin said.

"I'll remember the names, I think I'm gonna need some help in the near future... If only to find out where everything is in this place" Rebecca, they laughed as she turned and departed.

It only took another two minutes to find the door labeled 'Special Tactics and Rescue Service'. She spit her gum into a small trahcan by the door and drew in a deep breathe. Pushing the door open she found the office was large and cluttered. Rebecca counted twelve desks in the room. The one at the far left of the room had a picture of the STARS insignia behind it and only one office chair. _Must be Wesker's desk._ Every other cluster of wooden desks seemed to have at least two chairs on either side of it.

"Morning Becca" Joey said, grunting. She turned around to see him walking toward her with a bundle of shotguns under his arm.

"Good morning to you to" Rebecca said, eying the guns as she stepped aside. He walked in and dropped the guns on the desk nearest to the right wall. "We planning for a doomsday scenario?"

"Wesker put Burton in charge of weapons... The guys a maniac." Joey said, he opened a gray cabinet and started opening the action on each gun before leaning it carefully into one of the slots in the back.

"Speaking of our friends, where are they?"

"Burton took off to pick up some more guns over at that Kendo gun shop and-" Joey checked his watch "Wesker usually gets coffee about this time... Not sure when everyone else will get here."

"Miss Chambers is the only one starting today actually." Wesker said, walking in with a steaming white mug. His sunglasses were propped on top of his forehead and he was actually smiling for once. "Richard's captain wanted him to wait another week to avoid making a whole new schedule and no one else is scheduled to start until the beginning to July at the earliest... I had to work everyone's start dates around their other engagements but since we're still getting the equipment acquired and setup it works out well." Wesker took a drink from his still steaming mug.

"Makes sense I guess, but what are we gonna do for the three weeks until then?" Rebecca asked. Behind her she heard Joey close and lock the weapons cabinet.

"We focus on getting this office setup, all of our equipment in the proper place and if there's anything that the RPD needs us for we help to the best of our abilities." Wesker said. He took another drink of coffee before walking behind his desk and setting the cup down on it. "Speaking of the RPD, these are for you."

Wesker reached into the top drawer of her desk and produced three items. The first she recognized as a badge similar to the ones detectives carried. A simple leather holder with the STARS insignia etched into a piece of steel on the front. The second was a cellphone, Joey had told her this job might involve some on call hours so they provided a cell phone as part of the job. The third was a gun in a holster.

"This badge gives you the same authority as any member of the RPD or any other officer of the court." Wesker said, flipping open the badge to reveal an official RPD identification card with her picture on it.

"I wondered how much authority we actually had" Rebecca said, wincing as she saw the photo. _Why do they have to use drivers license photos for these?_

"Well technically the STARS program is a detachment of the Colorado state police so we have authority anywhere in the state. However the ID's are issued by the local department that endorsed the branch office." Joey said, walking up beside her.

"Good to know." Rebecca said, picking up the large Nokia cellphone and examining it. "What weapon was I issued?"

"We've all been issued standard glock nineteen nine milometer handguns with the standard fifteen round magazine because that's what police officers in the city carry. Though you are free to buy a different handgun to carry if you wish." Wesker said, pushing the gun across the table to her.

Rebecca pocketed the cellphone and pulled the gun from it's holster and examined it. The cool black metal felt heavy in her hands. She held the button to release the magazine and pulled it out. It was empty, she slammed it back into place and put the weapon back in it's holster.

"You know how to use that thing?" Joey asked, eying the gun with apprehension.

"I've shot guns before Joe." Rebecca said, setting the gun back down on the desk. "I just need a little time at the range to get comfortable with it. She wasn't exactly lying. She'd fired guns several times as a kid with her father. Still she wasn't sure how much use she'd be in a gun fight.

"Would you like Barry to teach you?" Wesker asked, almost laughing. "I'm sure he'd jump at the chance."

"As if he needs a reason to shoot" Joey said.

"Richard and I are going to the range tonight but I might have him give me some pointers... What else do we need to do?"

"There's eleven new computers downstairs that we need to bring in and hook up, I'll assume Joey can handle the hookup part if we help him bring them up." Wesker said standing up and stretching. "After we get that done, we're going to have a look at some files from the burglary unit, there was another break in at a warehouse in the city a few nights ago and they want our help on it."

"Which desk is mine?" Rebecca asked, glancing around the room.

"Far corner near the radio... I'll go downstairs and get the key for the room where the new computers are. Feel free to look around until I get back." Wesker said, walking out of the room.

"Well he seems like less of a dick then the last time we saw him." Rebecca said, walking over to her empty desk and sliding her hand over the polished wood. Joey let out a laugh that could have been a shriek and Rebecca jumped. Joey immediately blushed and looked horrified.

"Sorry, it's just... Hard for me to get passed our bad blood. You know?"

"Why did you take this job then?" Rebecca asked.

"I need the money... My parents cut me off so I'm paying my own bills now." Joey said, beginning to sweat. "Look I need this job for now... I'm gonna go get some coffee, you want any?"

"No, thanks." Rebecca said as he turned and left the room. _That was... Strange_ Rebecca though, dropping into her office chair and placing her gun and badge on the desk in front of her. She leaned back and knocked something off the shelf that held the radio equipment. _Shit_. She fumbled underneath her chair and came up with a white aerosol can.

"First Aid Spray Disinfectant" Rebecca said aloud. "Safe for use on open wounds and skin. Not for consumption, do not use around eyes or directly inside of nasal cavity." She flipped the can into the air and caught it with the nozzle pointing up. "Well I am the field medic after all". She put the spray in the top drawer of her desk, making a mental note to look for a tool box and belt at the hardware store to make her equipment out of.

She stood up and looked around the sparcely decorated room again. Only four desks appeared to be in use. Hers, the one next to her that could only be Barry's based on the numerous pictures of three girls in various stages of childhood and adolescence, Wesker's desk and the last one had to be Joey's. Rebecca walked toward the door to wait for Wesker in the hall when she caught sight of the only decoration on Joey's desk. A picture they had taken the night of graduation. Their whole group Chris, Jill, Richard, Brad, Billy, Forest, Joey and herself all dressed in blue caps and gowns. With Leon and Claire standing to one side in street clothes. Rebecca smiled at the memory. _Guess I'm not the only one who likes remembering when life was simpler_. With that thought she turned and swept from the room.


	6. Food for Thought

**Chapter 6: Food for Thought**

Rebecca ducked under the yellow police tape and squinted around in the bright sunlight. Several uniformed police officers were standing around the entrance to the small office building. Some drank coffee or leaned against the wall talking. Guarding a crime scene had to be boring thankless work, as she looked around one of the cops started walking towards her.

"I'm sorry but you can't" the man cut off at the sight of her STARS badge.

"Anyone else here yet?"

"Yeah, a big dude with a buzz cut flashed a badge like that about half an hour ago, didn't catch his name. He's somewhere inside."

"Thanks." Rebecca walked passed him. Still feels weird. She thought as she stepped over the threshold into the front lobby. "Hey James, anything new on this one?"

"Nope, same as before. The guy picked the lock and somehow disabled the security system." said a tall bald black man who was gently moving a security system control panel with one hand. "Employees came in this morning, saw this and reported it. Not even sure what was taken yet.

"This is what, the second in three weeks?" Rebecca asked the captain of the burglary unit.

"One in May, one in June and now two in July. I suppose there was one in April too if you count that warehouse fiasco with the 'ninja' as your boyfriend called it"

"What'd he take this time?" Rebecca asked, ignoring the crack about her personal life.

"Ask your buddy in the back. He's the one taking the employees statements."

Rebecca looked around the small room which contained a desk for a receptionist, a few chairs and a sign above the desk that read "Umbrella Pharmaceuticals". She walked through the hallway to the right, glancing in doors, most of the rooms seemed to be full of either boxes or envelopes. A familiar voice was coming from the room at the end of the hall. Turning into gray walled room she saw what looked like an unkempt mail room. Stacks of various sized boxes lined most of the walls and topped most of the tables. White capped green pill bottles of all sizes littered the floor along with numerous sheets of paper.

The "big dude with a buzz cut" was actually Chris. He'd put on a lot of muscle, grown some stubble and cut his hair short, but other then that he was the same Chris she had known in high school. The biggest change was his attire. Gone was his trade marked jeans and leather jacket. Replaced by the same alteration of the RPD detective uniform that she wore. Khakis and a dress shirt. She smiled, if it wasn't for that she would've half expected him to turn around and ask her if she'd be at the game on Friday night.

"Officer Redfield I presume?" Rebecca asked in a would be formal tone. Chris turned from the man he had been questioning and upon seeing her his face split into a wide grin.

"Greetings officer Chambers, nice of you to join us." He turned back to the bald middle aged man he'd been questioning. "I think I've got what I need, we'll be in touch if we need your help again." The man nodded and left the room.

"I didn't know you were starting today." Rebecca said, moving over and hugging Chris. It had been a long time since she had seen him.

"I actually started last Thursday, you were out sick." Chris said, laughing.

"Actually it was Tommy, he woke up vomiting in the middle of the night on Wednesday." Rebecca winced, realizing Chris might wonder why she'd been the one taking care of Tommy instead of her parents.

"Jill told me what happened with your parents... Why didn't you call us Becca?" Chris asked, sounding genuinely sad. Rebecca just shrugged

"I had no way of contacting you Claire or Jill. The lot of you ran off and forgot about Raccoon city after graduation."

"Well things haven't gone so well for me and Claire since then either, my Dad got lung cancer the year I left for the Air Force and went down hill quick. I wasn't here for the end but Claire says it got ugly, after that my Mom took her retirement and is living near my grandparents in Oregon now." Chris' voice was even but strained.

"I'm sorry to hear that... Your Dad smoked?"

"Never once in his life" Chris said, with a hollow laugh. "Anyway Claire took some time off school for that, she's a junior at the University of Colorado."

"What's she majoring in?"

"Dunno, haven't talked to her this week" Chris said, with a more genuine laugh. "But enough personal stuff, let me bring you up to speed partner."

"We're partners?" Rebecca asked, surprised.

"Yep, Wesker did it on Friday while you were gone... Anyway" Chris turned and pointed at a cardboard box that lay open on the floor. "He was after this... This place is like an offsite mailroom for the umbrella facility. That box was brought here on Friday by the Umbrella Courier Service."

"Umbrella Courier Service? Why don't they just use the post office?"

"That box had four full treatments of a new brain cancer treatment called Rytex, each treatment costs around ten thousand dollars to produce... I wouldn't trust the mail man with that either."

"That's an expensive treatment... Why was it being sent here?" Rebecca asked, bending down and looking at the box.

"Underlings don't know and of coarse no one remembers who it was supposed to go to or the name of the the person who delivered it."

"Something tells me the higher ups aren't going to be very forth coming with information like that either." Rebecca said, looking at the space of rough brown cardboard where the shipping label must have once have been. _I still can't figure out why they won't cooperate with us more._

"The crime scene boys say they'll dust it for prints but seeing as we haven't found any at the first two crime scenes I wouldn't count on finding any here" Chris said.

"You gotta think positive Chris!" Rebecca said, straightening up and looking around the room. "Any of the "underlings" have anything interesting to say?"

"Nope, all was quiet when they left Friday night and the first one in called the cops and wouldn't let anyone else inside."

"What was in the other boxes?" Rebecca asked, eying a smattering of boxes that had been haphazardly thrown around the room.

"Everything from common antibiotics to a new AIDS medicine... Looks like he took a lot of the higher priced stuff, mainly cancer meds produced at the factory that were to be delivered to Umbrella research labs" Chris said, nudging a bottle of pills on the floor with his foot.

"So he comes in" Rebecca said, pointing down the hallway. "Picks a mechanical lock and then somehow disables the security system."

"He goes straight for this room and only this room where he picks another lock." Chris said, pointing at the lock on the door and sweeping his arm around the room. "Then in this room with dozens of boxes managed to find ones that just happen to contain a hundred thousand dollars worth of medication."

"Which he runs off into the night with to presumably sell on the black market... You thinking what I'm thinking, partner?" Rebecca asked, giggling.

"Definitely an inside man, probably a pro but not necessarily. Any kid can learn how to pick a lock with enough time at the library. We'll have to wait for the report on the alarm system to know more. In the mean time we should do a deep background on everyone who works here." Chris said, nodding his head.

"We're pretty good at this."

"Maybe if we solve this Umbrella will give us our own TV show. Chamber Field Inc, starring Chris Redfield aided by his young ward."

"I'm the one with a young ward you ass hole" Rebecca said, taking a playful swipe at his head.

"Let's head back to the station, I've got a list of all the employees. We can start doing background on them."

The two walked back out to the parking lot where the sun shown overhead. Rebecca held up a hand to shield her eyes. Chris flipped out a pair of aviator style sunglasses and put them on. _Gonna have to get me a pair of shades_ Rebecca thought, laughing inwardly at how cop like she would look. She climbed behind the wheel of her sedan and started the engine. Glancing up she noticed a gas station across the street from the complex, noting she only had a quarter tank of gas she decided to stop there.

Rolling her windows down Rebecca drove across the street and parked by one of the pumps. The mid summer sun hung over head in a cloudless sky. She smiled, breathing in the smell of gasoline. 'I may not like cars but I do like that smell' Stepping out of the car she headed into the gas station and spotted a rack of one dollar sun glasses. She spun the carousel around until she found a pair she liked and picked them up. Walking to the counter where an old black man stood by a cash register, she tried them on.

"Anything else?" the man asked in a southern drawl that couldn't have come from a life spent in the arklay mountains.

"Yeah fifteen on pump-" Rebecca stopped, noticing a small rectangular object mounted to the ceiling behind the counter. _Security camera_ she thought. She turned to see if the gas station had a line of site with the mail office. "Does that thing record all the time?"

"As far as I know." The man said, giving her a funny look.

"I'm gonna need to see that tape" Rebecca said, still looking back out the door. She pulled out her badge and laid it open on the counter.

"And I'm gonna need to call my manager. You still want that gas while I do?"

"Yeah, pump one... And you got any kind of breakfast sandwiches here or something?" Rebecca asked, finally turning back to face the man. It was going to be a while before she made it back to the office.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Joey stood up abruptly from his desk and braced the computer monitor with shaking hands, as if he would've liked nothing more then to the fling the thing across the room. The motion brought the only other two people in room out of a nearly sleep like stupor. Joey breathed hard for a moment before collapsing back into his swivel chair and heaving a heavy sigh.

"Something wrong Joe?" Forest asked, clearly fighting to keep laughter out of his voice.

"At UCLA i used all windows stuff... I can't use this Mac bullshit." Joey said, rubbing his eyes.

"Don't you have a bachelors degree in computer science?" Richard asked, not bothering to contain his own laughter. For all their pretense of all being law enforcement professionals now, Richard still often times felt they were just a bunch of friends hanging out in the RPD station.

"Laugh it up fuzz ball" Joey said, stretching out in his chair. "Any luck on your end Richard?"

"Nope" Richard said, pausing the surveillance tape he'd been watching for at least the tenth time. 'Still just a dude in a hooded trench coat with the hood up' he thought sourly. "Whoever this is, he's a ghost. What are you even doing over there Forest?"

"Right now trying to decide which one of these medical insurance plans I should choose... I keep almost falling asleep trying to figure out what the fuck co-insurance."

"Oh yeah, you aren't on the umbrella case are you?" Joey asked, swinging his chair around and putting his feet up on the back edge of Forest's desk.

"No, you two, Rebecca, Chris and Barry are all working that. Enrico, Kenneth, Brad and I are all assisting the RPD detectives with cold cases."

At that moment the door swung open and Chris walked in, holding a cup of coffee in one hand. He greeted them all and walked to his desk. _Wonder if he's got any solid leads from the new burglary this morning_. Before Richard could even open his mouth Chris answered his unasked question.

"Looked like there were about as many clues at this scene as there has been at all the others."

"What fun, our first case and we have to try to catch a guy who never leaves us anything to go on. Wasn't Becca supposed to be with you?" asked Richard.

"She was at the crime scene but we drove separate... I figured she'd be here by now, we left the scene at a little before ten and I went to a doctors appointment before I came here"

"I had a bit of an errand to run too." Rebecca said, walking in at that exact moment.

"Good morning to you too." Forest said, laughing.

"I stopped off for some gas across from the crime scene and noticed they had a surveillance camera." Rebecca said

She dropped a bag full of VHS tapes into Richards lap and turned toward her desk. A white plastic bag swung from her arm. Judging from the logo of two lumberjack looking men flanking an enormous hamburger it was from the Burger Brothers Drive In. Richard picked up the tape and turned it over in his hands. _Oh boy, more security camera footage to watch_ Richard thought, mentally rolling his eyes.

"I'm starving, it took nearly two hours to get that tape released to me and that stupid gas station had nothing appetizing in it." Rebecca said, sitting down behind her desk and pulling a hamburger wrap in tin foil from the sack. "I haven't watched the tape so let me know if it's got anything good on-" she broke off as the door opened to reveal Wesker.

"Good afternoon" Wesker said, in his usual icy aloof tone.

"How's it going boss?" Joey asked, sitting up straight.

"Depends on how the case of these burglaries is going. I was just in a meeting with chief Irons and the mayor. They aren't happy that this keeps happening. Our saving grace is that the burglary unit has even less then we do."

"Rebecca found us some new security footage, other then that we're waiting for CSU to to get us their report." Chris said as Rebecca struggled to swallow a massive bite of her sandwich.

"Anything interesting on them?" Wesker asked, looking at Joey for some reason.

"She walked in about thirty seconds before you did. I only started looking at it... Now" Richard said, ejecting the tape he had been watching and shoving in a new one from the plastic bag in his lap.

"Good, that gives me something to tell the Umbrella plant manager... I'm meeting with him next." Wesker said and for the first time in living memory his voice contained not mockery indifference, but annoyance. "I may not be back down here after that meeting, CSU should have their report completed by Thursday and I want a report on my desk about those tape by no later then Wednesday. Good day" Wesker said, disappearing just as abruptly as he had appeared.

"Guy knows how to make a scene" Chris said.

"Sure does" Richard said, resigned to more hours of wading through security camera footage. _I'll give Wesker this, he actually seems like he's working really hard to make the STARS unit useful._

He put his headphones on and tried to focus on the tape playing. The angle of surveillance camera gave him a good view of the front of a small strip of businesses. One of which bore a sign saying Umbrella Receiving and Disbursal Center. _That must be the place that was hit._ Richard thought as he put the tape on fast forward picked up a nearby legal pad and pen to take notes with.

The dates on the tapes Rebecca had brought him went back five days with six hours on each tape. He went through them in sequential order and made a note of anyone who looked suspicious or who seemed to be casing the facility. No one especially jumped out at him until the night of the theft itself. It was nearly five o'clock by the time he reached that night, even watching the tapes on fast forward could only help so much. He saw what must have been the thief approach the door. He was clad in the same hooded black trench coat that characterized all the other burglaries so far. He entered the building at quarter after one in the morning and came out fifteen minutes later with a bag slung over his shoulder.

Richard squinted at the screen, hoping for a shot of the mans face, but he kept his head aimed low and walked off screen. Richard swore, rubbing his eyes, but then as he opened them again he caught site of something on the screen. He wound the tape back a few seconds. After the hooded man walked off screen there was a small blip of light off the side of the screen like the edge of a cars headlight. The light turned and cast a long wide beam across the length of the parking lot before turning toward the street off screen. Then the car turned and drove into full view of the camera. The angle was no good for a license plate but he stopped the tape on a frame with the full car in view.

"Hey, come over here!" Richard said, taking off his head phones and looking around. Only then did he notice that he and Joey were the only ones left in the room.

"What's up?" Joey asked, looking around his computer monitor.

"I caught a frame of the thiefs car." Richard said, turning back to the screen excited.

"You did what?" Joey asked, sounding nearly alarmed as he moved swiftly to stand by Richard. Richard played the tape for him and paused at the same spot.

"It's grainy, but it's something" Richard said, flicking the hard curved glass of the second hand Emerson television they had been given as a viewing station. Richard turned and was surprised to see most of the color gone from Joey's face. "Something wrong man?"

"He's just upset he didn't crack the case the way you have Richard." Wesker said from behind them. Both men nearly jumped out of their skins. Joey turned around, clutching at his chest.

"Don't do that!" Joey said, leaning against the television for support.

"Sorry, I thought you heard me come in." Wesker said, giving a slight laugh.

"I'm guessing you heard what I found?" Richard asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Yes, this should be helpful. It looks like a very distinctive car." Wesker said, eying Joey who was still leaning against the table.

Richard looked at the car closely for the first time. It was definitely a sports car. Black with two doors and very low the ground. The front of the car curved over and there was a small spoiler on the back. The windows must have been tinted because even under the street light they remained pitch black.

"I think it's a recent model Camaro." Joey said, finally turning his back on Wesker to look at the screen.

"What makes you say that?" Richard asked. 'Yep I know that look' Richard thought as Joey turned on him with a crooked smile on his face.

"Just cause I'm a cop doesn't mean I'm not still a gear head."

"Good work, both of you." Wesker said, moving away toward his desk. "Feel free to leave for the evening, I just have some paperwork to do and then I'm heading out myself."

"That's a big can do." Richard said, standing up and ejecting the tape. Under the date he'd written on the tape earlier he scrawled a new word 'Evidence' and laid the tape down on the top of the stack.

"I gotta stay and finish filling out this 401k thing... Anyone know what the difference between an index fund and a mutual fund is?" Joey asked, returning to his desk.

"Afraid not, my Dad helped me set that up when I joined the force and I haven't looked at it since. See you tomorrow."

Richard stepped out into the hallway and looked up at the large clock that on the wall that displayed the date and time. It currently read '5:31 7/28/1997' in block digits. He yawned and headed for his car, wondering if Rebecca had made any plans for dinner.


	7. Shadows

Chapter 7: Shadows

As the door swung shut behind Richard Joey breathed a sigh of relief. _That was a close one, how could I be so stupid?_ Joey thought, reclining in his chair and navigating with his mouse to shut down his computer. He would be right behind Richard as soon as Wesker had said what he knew was coming.

"That was bush league Frost." Wesker said, his tone was as indifferent as ever.

"I'm a software engineer, not a master thief."

"I didn't think I would need a master thief to pick two locks and enter a security code without getting caught on video." Wesker stood up from his desk and walked to the end of the long desk Joey shared with Chris.

"It won't happen again" Joey said, a note of defiance creeping into his voice.

"It better not Frost, I'd hate to see Me-"

"Don't. Say. Their. Names." Joey said, sitting bolt upright and gritting his teeth, he hated Wesker more in that moment then any since this had all started. _When this is all over Wesker... I'm gonna kill you._

"No need to be dramatic Joseph." Wesker said, he played it cool but Joey was certain that his movement had rattled him. "In either case I think we're going to have to back off of these types of incidents for the time being. The researchers have all that they need in any case."

"Good... Will you answer one question honestly?" Joey asked as Wesker turned to leave.

"Certainly"

"Why this way, why me? There's got to be an easier way to transport this shit then disguising it and masking the retrieval of it with burglaries."

"Oh, Joseph, you are very smart but you still haven't learned to think like someone committing a crime. The theft gives Umbrella plausible denyability in the event that someone comes looking for those samples. As for why you? Well that's even simpler. I like working with people I can trust." Wesker said, he didn't have to turn around for Joey to know he was smearing at him.

"You mean control."

"If that's the way you see it... I think of it as motivated cooperation myself. Also, nice obfuscation with that picture, a Camaro instead of a Firebird? That should keep us running down bad leads for a while." With that Wesker swept from the room, leaving Joey alone with his thoughts.

_What the hell have I become a part of?_ Joey asked himself as he left for the night, turning off the lights and locking the door to their office. Not a day had gone by since Wesker had "recruited" him that he didn't think at least once about going to the FBI and telling them the whole story. The two things that stopped him were all the people that would likely die. _if they aren't already dead_ Joey thought sourly. As well as the fact that he was almost certain no one in their right mind would believe him. Joey exchanged greetings with a few people on his way outside. The July night was hot but Joey didn't feel the urge to stay outside like he might once have. Instead he decided to head to his apartment and get to work after a dinner of cold pizza.

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"You up there Tommy boy?" Rebecca said, in a voice just below a yell. Leaning over the sloped wooden banister and looking up the stairs of her house.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Come down here a minute." Rebecca leaned away from the banister stretching in her foyer as Richard walked in behind her. "You can go ahead and get in the pool if you want. It's gonna take me a few to talk to him about this."

"Sounds good to me, it's hotter then hell out there."

At that moment Tommy appeared at the top of the stairs with a look on his face that meant he thought he was in trouble. _Good, goooooood _Rebecca thought, laughing to herself. She also noted that he hadn't bothered to change out of his pajamas today, had they been this lazy during summer vacation?

"Whatever it is, I didn't do it, no one saw me, you can't prove anything!" Tommy said, galloping down the stairs as Richard headed off to the bathroom.

"Oh really? Then how do you explain this?" Rebecca asked, in a stern but not overly angry voice, pointing out the still open front door.

"What the hell do you mean?" Tommy asked, running outside. Rebecca followed quick, wanting to see his face.

"Nineteen seventy Dodge Coronet RT with a 426 hemi" Rebecca said, trying not to giggle as Tommy's jaw dropped when he saw what was in the drive way. _It's nice getting to be the cool parent for once_ Rebecca thought, before immediately deciding to shoot herself if she ever thought of herself as his parent again.

"You're... You're serious?" Tommy asked, clearly not believing what he was seeing.

"Weeeell this is your last year of high school, you've done everything I've asked including getting better grades, so I thought it would be fair for me to give you something I never got for a change. I don't know anything about cars but based on how Richard reacted when he saw it and what Joey said when I asked him about it this one should qualify you as 'cool'."

"I... I gotta get dressed" Tommy made to bolt back into the house but Rebecca blocked him.

"Hold on one second boy. This doesn't come without conditions" Rebecca said.

"Yeah of coarse, what?" Tommy asked, nearly bouncing with excitement. It was a mark of how excited he was that even the notion that there were still rules to follow didn't seem to dampen his spirit.

"Rule number one, curfew still applies."

"Ten on week nights, twelve thirty on weekends. One o'clock during the summer" Tommy said.

"Rule number two, I cover the insurance, you cover the gas. Believe me once you see how much gas that engine drinks you're gonna wish I had gotten you a civic. Rule number three, you break it and you'll be the one paying to fix it. Rule number four, the grades slip and the keys revert to me."

"I get it, I get it, don't do anything stupid."

"The final rule" Rebecca said as if there had been no interruption. "Is more of a warning... You knock up a girl in the back seat and I will run you both over with it."

"I know better then that Becca" said Tommy, some of his excitement having worn off.

"Good" Rebecca said, returning to a chipper tone of voice. "Then have fun and be home by one." she turned and threw the keys up into the air and heard him promptly fail to catch them behind him.

"Thank you!" Tommy said, as Rebecca walked down the hall.

"You can thank me by proving that my trust has been well placed" Rebecca said, as he bounded up the stairs.

Fifteen minutes later Rebecca walked out onto the deck that joined the pool in her backyard with the house. She deposited her drink and towel by the edge and jumped feet first into the water. Richard was already floating around on his back with an open bottle of miller light in his right hand. He didn't seem to notice when she jumped in. Rebecca dropped under the water completely, feeling the cool water rush through her hair was refreshing after spending most of the afternoon at the car dealership. She braced her feet on the side of the pool and launched herself head first into Richards side.

Richard however had gotten wise to her by now. A split second before she would have collided with him he bent his back so that his stomach was under the water completely. Her head glanced off him and he hooked and arm around her head while propelling himself toward the bottom. All while managing to keep the arm holding his drink above the water.

"Fuck you" Rebecca said, half coughing, half laughing.

"Yes please" Richard said, taking note of her new swimsuit. A black strap bikini with green flowers on it. "That's new"

"I might've spotted it on sale the other day, it is August now after all. Do you like it?" Rebecca asked, giggling and blushing only a little. 'Why am I still blushing? This is Richard.'

"Honey hush" Richard said in a bad Texas accent.

He pulled her close and kissed her. A long slow kiss that Rebecca took a moment to enjoy. It seemed like her life might finally be turning around a little. She had Richard, a job that was if nothing else interesting and Tommy only had one year left of school before she could get back to her career. 'Will I want to leave if it means leaving Richard behind?' Rebecca thought, for the first time as she pulled away from him.

"Thanks for the help today" she said.

"Don't mention it, driving that thing was fun. It's got a shit load more torque then my Duster does." Richard held onto her, his warm arms felt nice around her back.

"I bet... Based on what Joey said when he saw the 426 hemi thing written on the paperwork that might even out class his old Trans Am."

"Wonder what he ever did with that thing" Richard said, in a wistful voice.

"I thought you were gonna faint when you saw he drives a trailblazer now."

"Him driving that doesn't seem weird to you?"

"Eh, his parents probably wouldn't buy him another sports car when he wrecked that one or whatever happened to it." Rebecca said, finally pulling away from Richard and swimming to the edge to retrieve her lemonade.

"He happy about it?"

"Wouldn't you be?"

"That's a pretty cool thing you did for him... It can't be fun for him right now." Richard said, smiling at her.

"Yeah, I know... We're in this miserable situation together, he deserves something. Funny thing is, the car was cheap, it's the insurance that's gonna kill me."

"Well think of it like this, you only get those pension checks because of him so that's his cut from them." Richard said, laughing.

"Fair point I suppose" Rebecca said, taking a sip of her drink. 'Too sweet' she thought, as the acidic mixture washed across her tongue. Making a mental note to use less sugar the next time she made it.

"If I ask you something will you promise not to tell anyone?" Richard asked, swimming to the other end of the pool where a patch of the water was still in the evening sunlight instead of the shade of the house.

"Of coarse."

"Do you think Joey is acting a little... Off?" Richard sounded like he picked the last word carefully.

"What do you mean?"

"He just seems kinda... Jumpy and... I don't know, he keeps turning me down to hang out after work and he's just... different."

"It's been five years Richard, we're all different." Rebecca said, swimming over to join him in the sun.

"Yeah but he seems to have changed more then the rest of us, including you."

"Thanks, what a compliment" Rebecca said, punching him under the water.

"Hey, all the shit you've been through I could understand you being way different. Hell I'd even understand Chris being different because of being in the Air Force, but five years in California and he changes more then the rest of us combined?"

"I don't know, Jill is awfully different. I had lunch with her yesterday for the first time since she started and she dodged and deflected every question about what she's been up to for the last five years."

"Joey does that a lot too. I've noticed nearly all of his drinking stories come from his freshman year at UCLA and he's awful vague about the rest of the time except for what classes he took."

"I don't know... Maybe we're over thinking it and we just need to accept that we aren't all the same as the last time we were together." Rebecca said, leaning back and floating with her head just above the water. The warm sun felt wonderful on her wet skin.

"Maybe... And maybe you need to be more worried about a sneak attack!" Richard said, swinging his arm wide to send a massive wave over head. Rebecca snorted as water rushed up her nose, the chlorine in it burning her nostrils.

"Oh! OH! So that's how it's gonna be!"

Rebecca slammed her feet onto the floor of the pool and propelled herself up and straight at Richard head. Wrapping her arms around his she leaned back and dragged him under the water with her. He flailed his arms as she pressed his face into her stomach, dragging them back up to the surface. They both emerged from the water laughing.

"If we ever find ourselves in a harry situation at the RPD I'm just gonna throw you at the enemy and run away" Richard said, through his laughter.

"How valiant of you" Rebecca said smiling. "I love you Richard."

The words hung in the air between them. It was the first time since he had confronted her about her hiding her situation from him that either one of them had said it. They had probably both wanted to say it but things had been going so well they had both not wanted to jeopardize it. _That was a mistake, what did I do. _Her mind speeding up into an frenzy. However before she could think of a graceful way to retract the statement, Richard spoke.

"I love you too Rebecca, just like I always have."

"It feels really good to hear you say that again." Rebecca said, moving to hug him.

She had never told anyone about the worst part of her parents deaths. The worst of it wasn't the responsibility for her brother or having to give up school. It was the loneliness. It seemed like before she had even blinked her mother had died before she could finish grieving for her father and sister. Leaving her with a teenage boy to care for, and no one to talk to about it. All her high school friends had fled Raccoon city and by the time she returned it barely resembled the place she had known as a child. Her parents were dead and she had no other real family except for her brother. She had made a few casual friends working as an EMT, but they couldn't replace what she had lost.

Rebecca had always enjoyed being alone before, but this was different. Some nights when Tommy was gone, the silence in the house was nearly deafening. Far from the usually noisy and always loving home she had grown up in, now the house her parents had bought as newly weds seemed like a memorial to happier times. Every time she worked up the courage to try to change something, she faltered. Every room was still the colors her parents had picked, most of the furniture was the same.

"It feels just as good to say it again." Richard said, wrapping her in his arms and pressing her head to his chest. "Truth is, I've wanted to say it ever since the moment I saw you in that bar." Rebecca giggled at that.

"Me too... This is the best I've felt since before my Dad died."

Rebecca felt her eyes burn as she spoke. Richard simply smiled down at her as she cried. Rebecca was never one to be very emotional. _This must seem way out of character to him_ she thought as the tears started to flow more freely. If he was perturbed, he didn't show it. He simply stroked her hair and let her cry. She cried for her parents, for her little brother and for her sister who had died so young. She cried for all the things she had refused to face since she came home that fateful night to find her Mom face down in the bathroom with an empty bottle of sleeping pills still clutched in left hand.

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Joey opened the door to his small apartment with one hand while simultaneously unbuttoning his shirt with the other. _I hate this monkey suit_ he thought, hanging his keys on the hook by the light switch and stretching as he kicked the door closed behind him. Joey shot the dead bolt and small cross bar lock before leaving his shoes, shirt, khakis and bandana all in a trail leading to the couch. Across one arm lay the clothes he had worn after work the day before. He put them on, thinking that he would need to do laundry by the end of the week.

Joey sank onto the couch and stared around the sparsely populated apartment. The couch was separated from a large rear projection screen television by a small particle board coffee table. Across the room by the entrance to the kitchen, in what was supposed to be a dining room, sat his master piece. A four foot wide three foot tall chalkboard dominated the wall, flanked on both sides with equal height but much narrower pieces of cork board. At the bottom below the chalkboards metal chalk holder sat a table with neat piles of papers. By contrast the papers on the cork board seemed jagged and disorganized. Next to the piles of papers sat a large laptop showing a screen saver that depicted an endlessly changing corridor of red bricked walls.

The chalkboard itself was currently empty. Joey had been using it to diagram different scenarios and ideas but had gotten drunk and erased all of it the night before. _Just as well_ Joey thought _I really should wash the damn thing one of these days. But not today_. Joey got up and walked toward the kitchen, pushing aside the cheap reclining computer chair he left in front of the table for when he worked.

He retrieved a slice of pizza and a mountain dew from the refrigerator and watched a rerun of Friends while he ate. Truthfully he wanted to skip the meal entirely and just open one of the five new bottles of Jack Daniels sitting in paper bags on the counter. He knew though that he needed to keep his strength up for what was coming. Besides as much as he liked whiskey he never liked drinking while eating. Finishing his meal he returned to the kitchen and pulled his open bottle of whiskey from the freezer, there was a fourth of it left. Knowing that wouldn't be enough for the night he put one of the unopened bottles in the freezer to chill while he started.

Joey sat down and pressed the control button on the laptop. After entering his password he tipped the chair back and took a drink from the bottle. _What was I doing last night_ Joey thought, trying to remember what he had been doing before he had gotten too drunk to function.

"First things first" Joey said, knowing he needed to put his safe guards in place before starting.

He pulled out his cellphone and rebooted it, cloning it to a new number from his list that hung from the board behind his laptop. _Still got another page and half of viable ESN's before I need to get more_ Joey thought, setting his cellphone into the cradle that was a cellular modem. From there he dialed into Hurricane Web, an internet service provider in the Seattle area and connected to a virtual private network service in Norway. All using credentials he had stolen or created himself during previous hacks.

Joey took another drink as he waited for his computer to establish the connections. Now even if Umbrella caught him snooping around their system they would first have to track his VPN back to Norway. Assuming they managed that then they would have to figure out how to trace it to Hurricane, which was being accessed from a cellphone number registered to a Sprint user in Montana. All this made it just short of impossible for them to discern who it was. _You may have me doing your dirty work Wesker, but I swear I'll find a way to stop you._

He had worked tirelessly for months, methodically breaking into every internet connected Umbrella facility he could find. Some had yielded useful information, like the fact that Umbrella had not one but two private armies on retainer. The first was the Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service. Which despite being billed to the public and the shareholders as a kind of private CDC, was actually a semi paramilitary organization. It however at least had resources that did a certain amount of good. The Umbrella Security Service on the other hand was nothing more then a bunch of mercenaries kept on retainer to quell not only potential biohazards but things that threatened the companies profits. The Umbrella factories in the United States might be mostly unionized, but that didn't mean the company had to accept that as an option in places like Bangladesh.

Most of the information he pilfered however, was the normal paperwork and emails of a large multinational corporation. Not for the first time Joey stared at his screen and wondered if he should bring Rebecca and Richard into his confidence to help him. Even aside from wanting to trust his friends, the sheer volume of date he was attempting to comb through for clues and evidence made him wish he had help. The lingering feeling that he couldn't trust anyone with this information was still there, but that wasn't why he hadn't told them what was happening to him. _I can't risk bringing them any deeper into this then they already are_. He sighed, took another drink of whiskey and returned to his hack of the night before, a satellite office of Umbrella located in Maine near some place called Caliban Cove.

A/N: In case you're wondering the computer setup Joey used in this chapter isn't just techno babble from old hacking movies. Everything mentioned is a real thing that existed in 1997. If you're enjoying this story feel free to leave me a review and let me know what you think. I welcome all feedback including criticism.


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